Pregnancy

Acupuncture in Pregnancy

Acupuncture treatment during pregnancy aims to smooth the flow of energy to promote general wellbeing. It can help relieve pain, improve mood and reduce anxiety, and alleviate pregnancy nausea and heartburn. Towards the end of pregnancy and past the due date, acupuncture is often used to encourage the natural process of labour.

Prebirth Treatments

Towards the later stages of pregnancy, more regular, weekly treatments can be given to harmonise the mother's energy and to focus on the process of labour.

Optimal Foetal Positioning

In China, where acupuncture originated, moxibustion (the smouldering of the herb artemisia vulgaris latiflora) has traditionally been used to encourage the baby to turn into a head-down position for labour.

For more information please visit Resources to download the ACT Yorkshire information leaflet
“Moxa for Breech Presentation: A gentle way to turn your breech baby.”

Supporting the Natural Onset of Labour

Women often come to see us near or past their due date to receive acupuncture treatment to balance their energy and encourage the natural onset of labour, prior to a chemical induction.

The British Acupuncture Council has published a Fact Sheet on Obstetrics, which looked at research across the whole area of pregnancy. The most important finding was that acupuncture is safe. This summary of the research evidence concluded that acupuncture may: